Chapter 2: Hidden Sorrow (I)

“O Almighty God, Your mercy is the brightest light in the world… Praise You!”
This was the prayer after lunch. If these words came from a priest of the Church, they might have sounded harmonious, but when spoken by a vampire who had lived for hundreds of years, it made one wonder: indeed, the world is still too crazy!
“What a wonderful lunch… Thank you for the hospitality,” said Professor Hode, putting down his knife and fork at the dining table as he smiled at Dia. “I never expected student Palas to be such an excellent cook—compared to some people…” At these words, he trembled slightly.
A soft snort was heard. Sitting next to her, Aibel supported her fair face with her hands and smiled in a threatening tone, “Ah, these ‘some people’ can’t be referring to me, can they? Hmm? Hode? Indeed, I can’t cook or do laundry. Other than knowing a bit of magic and astrology, I’m completely useless…” Compared to her time at the Rex Academy, she seemed even more alluring, but her gaze reminded Thos of the first time he saw her in Vandel.
“Impossible!” Professor Hode cut Aibel off firmly, constantly giving Thos subtle nods and whispering, “Right?”
“Uh…” Glancing at Ulric, who was confused, Thos and Dia nodded oddly.
“Hmph!” Aibel snorted in dissatisfaction, then turned to Dia with a tone full of envy, “But it was really delicious, student Palas!”
“Not really,” Dia said, lowering her head shyly before suddenly remembering something and adding, “You can just call me Dia. By the way, the water must be boiling. I’ll go make some tea…” With that, she stood up and rushed toward the kitchen.
“What a nice girl!” Aibel praised with a smile.
“Yes! She was obedient and capable even at the academy…” Professor Hode agreed sincerely. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he said seriously to Thos, “You’re lucky, kid! We even worried about you for nothing!” He glanced guiltily at Aibel.
“Hmph!” Aibel snorted coldly. Under Professor Hode’s fearful gaze, she stood up and headed toward the kitchen, saying, “Let me help you, student Palas… Um, Dia!”

“That can’t be… Well, okay then, thank you!” Diya’s voice came from the kitchen.
Professor Hode finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up, he saw Thos staring at him in astonishment. Coughing lightly, he said, “Actually, Aibel is also very gentle…”
“Is that so?” Thos retorted in a peculiar tone, clearly not believing Professor Hode’s words.
“Of course,” said Professor Hode in a tone he couldn’t even convince himself with. Then, he sighed, looked up at Thos, and said sincerely in a calm voice, “I’m relieved to see that you’re safe and doing well.”
“Professor Hode…” Hearing those sincere words, Thos felt somewhat depressed. After all, over the three years of interaction, their relationship had gone far beyond that of a professor and student. The professor, in his thirties, had treated Thos like his own child, and it was precisely this affection that made Thos feel especially heavy-hearted.
“Ryox…”
“Mm,” as if guessing Thos’s thoughts, Professor Hode nodded silently and sighed in a deep voice, “It’s completely destroyed, Ryox… We underestimated Argus. His power has surpassed that of ordinary great magicians. Even the dean…” He fell silent as he spoke.
Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Thos grew even more uneasy. Licking his lips, he hesitantly asked, “Is the professor and Assistant Professor Aibel… together?”
“Huh?” The atmosphere changed instantly. Professor Hode scratched his head awkwardly and said, “Well… whether they’re together or not… anyway… you know what I mean, right?”
Listening to Professor Hode stammering as he explained the situation, Thos felt a little better. Pointing at the ring on Professor Hode’s finger, he teased, “That’s what happened, right?”
“Yes, yes,” said Professor Hode, scratching his head sheepishly. Then, as if realizing something, he tapped Thos on the head and snapped, “Hey, what kind of tone is that, kid? Is that something a student should say?” With that, he turned to look around the room before turning back to tease Thos, “Tsk tsk, you really live well, kid! Kids these days are indeed much better at this than us… Two underage kids living together…”

“Hey,” Thors interrupted Professor Hode impatiently, irritably saying, “Dia is already an adult!”
“Oh, is she?” Professor Hode wore a teasing smile and whispered, “What about you?”
“I of course…”
“What ‘of course’?”
“It’s not what you think…” Shaking his head helplessly, Thors pointed at the old sofa in the living room. “I’ve been sleeping here all this time…”
“And so what?”
“You!” Thors glared at Professor Hode angrily, and then both of them burst into laughter simultaneously.
“It’s really good to see that you’re fine…” Professor Hode sighed again as he looked at Thors.
“Professor…” Staring deeply at Professor Hode, Thors felt a sense of guilt well up in his heart. He whispered, “If I had stayed back then, maybe Riox…” Before he could finish, there was a loud smack as Professor Hode hit him hard on the head.
“Hey, what’s with that condescending tone of yours? It seems Lavia was right—you’re getting more and more arrogant,” Professor Hode said, pretending to be angry as he leaned on the table and stared at Thors. “Are you trying to say that dozens of professors in the academy are not as useful as you, a brat? Don’t forget—who was it who begged for mercy, looking disheveled, saying, ‘Professor, that’s enough. Is today enough?’”
“I… when have I ever begged for mercy?” Thors said, half laughing and half crying. But recalling that even when Sloth’s power hadn’t awakened yet, he couldn’t hurt Professor Hode even if he used all his strength.
“I really miss those days,” Professor Hode sighed self-mockingly. Then, seeing that Thors seemed about to explain something, he raised his hand to stop him and said seriously, “We can’t change those unpleasant experiences anymore. Even if we went back to that day, I think the old dean’s mind wouldn’t change, nor would the minds of us professors. It’s our responsibility as professors to protect our students. You brats just need to run to a safe place with your eyes closed!”
Thors opened his mouth but said irritably, “Why do I feel completely unimpressed by these words? It’s really annoying…”

“Wow! Does a minor who’s not even of age really deserve equal treatment from me?” Professor Hod said jokingly. Then, he reached out and patted Thos on the head before saying seriously, “Don’t be troubled by such trivial questions. Otherwise, it’s a desecration to those who sacrificed themselves! Your thoughts make their sacrifices meaningless, understand?”
Thos stared deeply at Professor Hod, remained silent for a moment, then nodded firmly.
Only then did Professor Hod show a satisfied smile. As he glanced around the room, he said casually, “Ever since that guy Argus took control of Sassen, the empire’s situation has become chaotic. Some ulterior-minded people are taking advantage of this chaos to stir up trouble, but it seems it hasn’t reached here yet…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing much. It’s just that the local rulers don’t recognize Argus’ central government. For various reasons—standpoints, interests—that’s politics, after all… The current situation is just a trigger. Before long, all cities will be embroiled in war. By the way, Sassen launched a war on Operelles some time ago. Those merchants had long been dissatisfied, paying heavy taxes to Sassen without receiving any corresponding compensation. They must have been waiting for such an opportunity…”
“Operelles?” Thos was stunned. “Isn’t that Allen’s hometown?”
“Yes,” Professor Hod nodded as if it were obvious, smiling. “Allen’s father is said to be a well-known merchant there… Don’t worry. Operelles is the most prosperous city in the empire. Those merchants have armed an army with unimaginable wealth. Even the Royal Knights can’t deal with them for now. I’m afraid they’ve been preparing for this for a long time…” He sighed slightly and said in a strange tone, “Argus has only intensified the long-buried contradictions within the empire. It’s the empire’s leadership itself that caused this situation. Just like those Thelanders—you must have encountered them too, right? This is nothing but a conflict between the ruling class and the ruled. The barbarians in the north are also taking this opportunity to prepare an attack on the empire. The other vassal states are taking a wait-and-see attitude. The empire’s previous rule was indeed harsh and indifferent, so retaliation is only logical…”
“Will there be a war?” Thos asked hesitantly.

“A large-scale war? Maybe,” Professor Hode said, stroking the table surface with an odd tone. “It seems that Argus’s goals are even more terrifying than we imagined. He doesn’t just want to destroy the empire—he wants to drag the entire empire into a hell of endless war. In other words, what he really wants to punish isn’t the empire itself, but the entire human world! As long as this guy is alive, this war will only start and never end… Maybe, when the whole human world collapses!”
“Argus…” Thos remained silent. He felt Professor Hode was right, as he had seen deep-seated hatred in Argus’s eyes on several occasions. It wasn’t so much hatred for the empire as much as despair toward the entire world that gave rise to that hatred.
“Ugh, I really don’t know what that guy is thinking!” Professor Hode sighed and shook his head. Turning around, he saw Thos staring down in thought, so he tapped him on the head and said irritably, “Hey, this isn’t something a kid like you should worry about. You should be thinking about how to deal with your current situation. Two clueless kids living in the same room… If Ravia found out, she’d cry!”
“Professor!” Thos looked at Professor Hode helplessly before asking curiously, “By the way, professor, how did you know we were here?”
“Isn’t it simple?” Professor Hode pointed in the direction of the kitchen and shrugged. “Vander’s astrologers can easily find you!” Then, he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, “So, if you get the chance in the future, you must learn something about astrology. At least learn how to avoid such tracking magic…”
“Huh?” Thos stared at Professor Hode in confusion. Just as he was about to ask a question, a cold laugh sounded behind him.
“Oh, what a competent professor indeed…”
Thos instinctively turned his head and saw Aibel walking over with a plate, saying with a smirk, “Why learn such anti-tracking magic knowledge? Can you explain that, Hode Kendi?” She walked over to the table, placed the plate heavily on it, and smiled at Professor Hode.
Facing Aibel’s threatening gaze, Professor Hode stammered, “Well… it’s not… It can’t hurt to learn more useful knowledge, right? Maybe we’ll need it in the future…”

“Yes!” Abel smiled slyly, leaning in and lowering his voice. “For example, when you want to get rid of someone and avoid being tracked, you can use this kind of knowledge, right? Honey?”
“No… How is that possible!”
“Really?” Abel sneered.
“Of course!” Professor Hode’s lips twitched as he shot SOS a few pleading glances.
“Ahem,” seeing Professor Hode’s desperate look, SOS cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Um… speaking of which, why have you guys come here?”
“Hmph!” Abel grunted dissatisfiedly at SOS. Seizing the opportunity, Professor Hode quickly said, “We came mainly to see how you’re doing. After all, what we detect through astrology isn’t as good as seeing it with our own eyes. Secondly, the situation has become increasingly unstable lately. As professors, we can’t leave you two alone out there. We want to take you to Vandel. Vandel’s protective barriers and defensive magic arrays are relics from ancient times—by far the safest place right now. Also, to see if you little rascal have been slacking off…”
“Hah?”
“What’s with that expression?” Professor Hode looked at SOS amusedly and said seriously, “SOS, you’d better be aware that within seven days, I want you to fully master Flare Flash!”
“Flare Flash?” SOS was stunned and asked in surprise, “I already mastered that spell!”
“Can you cast it instantly?” Professor Hode asked seriously. “I mean without any preparation time—able to cast it immediately whenever you want.”
Taking the tea from Dia, SOS shook his head in astonishment and said, “But… I’m not a professor… Instant casting…”
“Hehe,” Professor Hode smiled slightly, took the tea from Abel, and whispered, “Don’t try to fool me. Your magic power isn’t low at all. Carrying that powerful dark force has significantly enhanced your innate magic power. The reason you can’t cast it instantly is because you’ve never practiced wholeheartedly. You haven’t practiced at all in these six months, have you?”
Seeing SOS’s awkward expression, Dia couldn’t help but defend him, “It’s not like that, Professor. I’m the one who told SOS not to use magic. Recently, cities everywhere are expanding their armies. If people find out he’s a magician…”

“Well, I’ve heard about these things too. That’s why I brought you all to Vandel,” said Professor Hode, pausing briefly before looking at Thos with a teasing gaze. “What a nice girl, indeed. Nice kid too—your life seems too comfortable, doesn’t it? If you don’t want to be discovered, then master the barrier for me! Stop using such shoddy excuses to fool me. In any case, within the next seven days, you must fully master Flare Flash, and on that basis, I’ll teach you the real Flare Flash!”
“The real Flare Flash?” Thos showed a look of surprise and asked, “Did I not learn Flare Flash before?”
Shaking his head, Professor Hode replied with a hint of mockery, “Stop being so arrogant, kid. What you learned back then was just the basics…”
Before he could finish, Aibel sneered and said, “That sounds nice. Just basics, huh? You only recently understood the transformation and application of that magic, didn’t you? Do you really want to show off your professorial authority in front of your students?”
“Hey…” Professor Hode looked at Aibel with a wry smile and said softly, “At least spare some face for me in front of my students…”
Had the professor also only mastered it recently? Looking at the professor’s troubled expression, Thos felt a hint of warmth in his heart. As he thought about it, he suddenly asked out of curiosity, “But why seven days? Didn’t you say you’d take us to Vandel? Can’t we learn there?”
Without any warning, Aibel suddenly fell silent. Her beautiful face lost all color, and she sat down pale, her hands trembling as she held the cup.
“Well… because the professor still has some personal matters to attend to,” said Professor Hode, looking at Aibel with deep affection. He gently patted her hand and whispered in a strange tone, “So, Aibel will have to take you to Vandel instead… Aibel?”
Under Thos and Dia’s puzzled looks, Aibel slowly nodded. It was hard to imagine that the witch of Vandel could have such a quiet and obedient side.
Watching this peaceful and warm scene, Dia couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.
“It’s really nice…”
Indeed, over the following seven days, Professor Hode subjected Thos to intense training—so intense that it was almost unbearable.

The location was at the foot of a nearby mountain, where Professor Hord had set up a barrier to prevent discovery. For the days that followed, from dawn to dusk, aside from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Professor Hord hardly gave Thos any time to rest.

In the first three days, Professor Hord continued to train Thos using the usual methods, but with an intensity never seen before. The concentration and control of fire elements, along with the time required for this, went without saying. Moreover, Professor Hord would interrupt Thos with magic mid-training. It wasn’t some ordinary spell like a fireball—it was Flare Flash, a spell that moved from sensing magical fluctuations to manifestation almost without pause.

“Trying to dodge my Flare Flash with just that, kid? How ridiculous!”
“Haven’t you already mastered teleportation? Why not use it?”
“What? Can’t you use teleportation while concentrating fire elements? What nonsense! It’s just that your focus isn’t sharp enough!”
“Put aside all those pointless distractions! A magician who only knows how to attack but can’t protect himself properly isn’t a qualified magician at all!”
“Use your senses! Use your mental power to sense my magical fluctuations. There’s no magic in this world without fluctuations. Pay close attention to the subtle changes in elements and magic in the air, and guess what spell I’m using… What are you doing? Can your eyes keep up with the speed of spellcasting? Have you regressed to this level in just six months? Pay attention!—I’m already being very lenient with you. You don’t even need to waste time guessing what spell I’ll use. What more do you want?”

Amidst Professor Hord’s relentless words, Thos, out of breath, could at best use teleportation to escape, with the fire elements he had gathered dissipating time and again due to the professor’s interference.

“What do you mean ‘already very lenient’? Which teacher uses Flare Flash when training students?” Thos grumbled to himself.

Indeed, if it were just an ordinary fireball, Thos could easily handle both tasks simultaneously. But with Flare Flash, it was impossible. After all, its casting speed was incredibly fast—it seemed as though Professor Hord didn’t even need to concentrate fire elements. With a mere raise of his hand, fierce flames appeared out of nowhere.

On the fourth day, Thos finally witnessed the true Flare Flash that Professor Hord had spoken of—a spell that even the professor had only mastered recently.

The first few steps are no different from ordinary Flare Flash. The only difference that leads to a qualitative change is the final step: whereas traditional Flare Flash relied on an instantaneous explosion to deliver massive damage, the improved version is even more terrifying—it requires re-concentration at the moment of explosion, using a concept similar to secondary stacking to achieve an even greater explosion speed and damage.

The final effect is no longer burning or scorching, but rather incredible evaporation.

Thors witnessed Professor Hode use the new Flare Flash to create a circular hole in a huge rock, with no other parts of the rock showing any signs of high temperature from the flame. This meant that not a hint of the flame’s heat was wasted; it was all focused on attacking the target, which was something truly astonishing even in the entire magic world.

During their training, Abel and Dia watched from the side. Unlike Dia, who would sometimes exclaim in surprise or sigh in relief, Abel seemed extremely gloomy the whole time. The observant Dia could see deep sadness in her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Sister Abel? Do you feel unwell?”

“No…”

Seeing Abel standing there quietly, staring at Professor Hode without saying a word, Dia grew puzzled.

“Sigh, it’s time to prepare dinner for those two. Let’s go, Dia!”

“Oh…”